There are many beautiful places in the world, however, the people of Dubrovnik claim their city to be the most beautiful. The warm, southern climate, the spacious blue sky, the emerald green and dark blue crystal clear sea depths touching the rocky shore and spilling into numerous coves and bays, onto sandy beaches and steep reefs decorated with the lushest Mediterranean and subtropical flora. Under the mild Mediterranean climate, Dubrovnik is bathed in a sea of sun, blossoms and ripe fruits of the orange and lemon trees even in the winter months.
Dubrovnik - the city of a unique political and cultural history (the Dubrovnik Republic, the Statute from 1272), of world-famous cultural heritage and beauty (inscribed on the List of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO) - is one of the most attractive and famous cities of the Mediterranean.
History
Dubrovnik was actually founded the first half to the 7th century. A group of refugees settled in what is now Cavtat. At about the same time, a group of Slavs settled at the foot the Srd Mountain which they named Dubrovnik. The two settlements were separated by a channel. However, the channel was filled up in the 12th century and this united the two settlements. A wall was built around the city at this time to protect the inhabitants from their enemies. There were many nations at that time that wanted to conquer Dubrovnik because it had become one of the most powerful economic centers in the Southern Adriatic. It even had a fleet of 200 merchant ships that they called Argosy.
In the 13th century, Dubrovnik was ruled by an aristocratic republican constitution. The administrative bodies were the Grand Council, the Small Council and the Senate. The Head of State was a Duke who was elected for a period of one month at a time.
In 1815, Dubrovnik was annexed to Austria (which later was to become the Austrian-Hungarian Empire) and remained under its control until 1918. IN 1918, it became part of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Kingdom. This was to become the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. During the beginning of WWII, Dubrovnik was part of the Independent State of Croatia; however, from April 1941 until September 1943, it was occupied by the Italians and then the Germans. Dubrovnik was liberated by a group of Partisans in 1944 and in 1945 became part of the Federative People’s Republic of Yugoslavia.
In 1990, Croatia became independent and was renamed the Republic of Croatia. However, on October 1, 1991, Croatia was attacked by the Serb-Montenegrin Army and fighting lasted until 1995. Today, however, Croatia and the city of Dubrovnik are free and safe. Dubrovnik is known around the world and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean
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